Rush (4)
In the sky above the labyrinth, silent support continues from an untraceable distance.
Sharp bullets, picking off only the elite specimens from among the Orc horde.
The sniping is flawless, without a single millimeter of error. Any Orc wearing even slightly distinct attire is instantly killed with a shot right between the eyes.
With every straight line completed, the curses vanish one by one.
The mana and curses binding the cart dissipate simultaneously, allowing Yun Hwa-rim to snap out of her daze and take the driver's seat.
Kang Hyun stares blankly up at the sky.
Still, tails like a meteor shower are being etched across the heavens—blue trajectories cutting through the pre-dawn indigo.
A magic-user's Cognitive Image is a reflection of the life they have lived.
It cannot be hidden even if one tries; instead, it remains like a fingerprint, a testament to the ego that reveals their true self most clearly.
Thus, this is the spellcraft he unleashes as a soldier.
A technique forged in the most brutal of battlefields.
Yet, for his allies, could there be any sight more beautiful?
"The cart is ready!" Yun Hwa-rim shouted.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Kang Hyun gripped his broadsword.
Although the main force was already surrounded due to the shamans, they no longer needed to worry about them. They only had to focus on transporting the cargo.
The reason was simple: they were being protected.
Turret. He probably means the archer, Im Hae-jun.
"Understood," Kang Hyun replied shortly, swinging his sword. An Orc's head flew over the snow.
"On it!"
Im Hae-jun obeyed Seol Ha-woon, who was issuing orders using the command authority delegated to him. He darted through the forest like a flying squirrel.
Not far off, he spotted the transport team. Their cart was completely surrounded by Orcs.
This is my chance to shine!
Im Hae-jun notched a Split Arrow to his bowstring. It was his first time using this type of enchanted arrow, but he already understood how to use it.
The point Im Hae-jun aimed at was not an Orc, but the ground—the very dirt beneath their feet.
He loosed four Split Arrows in just two seconds. It was rapid fire, a basic skill for any archer.
Swish-sh-sh-sh!
The Split Arrows that struck the ground split and shot upward like a reverse squall of rain. Countless Orcs were skewered by the splintered projectiles.
"Hup!"
Next, he fired two Explosive Arrows at the rear of the Orc horde.
Boom!
"Whoa."
He flinched, startled by an impact far more powerful than he had anticipated. The ground was even gouged out like a crater. Thanks to that, the Orcs' advance slowed to a crawl, and the encirclement was broken.
"Wow. The feedback on this is insane." Im Hae-jun clenched and unclenched his hand in awe.
Not only was the destructive power of the arrow itself incredible, but the usability—the way it felt in his hand—was extraordinary. Usually, enchanted arrows felt heavy or sluggish when fired, so why did this hyung's feel so incredibly agile?
Since he had provided backup due to an unexpected situation, he needed to return to his original post and prepare to escort them again.
"Roger!"
Im Hae-jun checked his quiver as he retreated. He still had two Split Arrows and two Explosive Arrows left.
"These are seriously awesome."
I should ask him to make me some more later...
Thanks to Seol Ha-woon's sniping and Im Hae-jun's fire support—backup pouring in from long and mid-range—the main transport team barely managed to escape the slope.
To put it simply, they could finally breathe.
"...The durability is almost gone." Yun Hwa-rim looked at the durability displayed on the cargo cart's dashboard.
There was barely any durability left. A single light graze would shatter the circuits. It was the result of the Orcs hammering away at it so relentlessly.
"Is everyone okay?"
Yun Hwa-rim looked at the team members in the cargo bay. Though they all looked utterly exhausted, they nodded to show they were fine.
Fortunately, the transport itself was now in a safe zone. The Orcs had been pushed back, and the cart had gained sufficient acceleration.
"Entering the forest now," Yun Hwa-rim said.
Just then, Jin Yun-hwa, a warrior from the escort team, appeared at the entrance of the forest. He climbed onto the cargo cart.
"Our escort team is stationed inside the forest. Leave any Orcs trying to enter from this side to us."
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. Because the trees were so dense, it was impossible to tell where the sound came from, but it signaled that the escort had begun.
"Well then, I'll be on my way." Jin Yun-hwa hopped off the cart.
Rumble, rumble. The cart rolled down into the forest. Unlike the warzone they had just escaped, it was incredibly peaceful.
"...They're pretty good, those guys," Lee Jong-su muttered, scratching the back of his neck. Yun Hwa-rim silently agreed.
Seol Ha-woon's team was organized to an almost embarrassing degree. Honestly, she had found them highly untrustworthy at first, but they were acting like far more of an elite squad than expected.
Of course, there was someone even more incredible right here.
"Hey, Kang Hyun, what's your deal, seriously?" Lee Jong-su let out a dry laugh at Kang Hyun.
"It's nothing."
"Nothing my ass... Damn, you were slicing through Orcs like they were radishes. Even their armor was just flying off."
They chatted casually, leaning against the cargo to rest for a moment in the gentle breeze.
Yun Hwa-rim also let out a massive yawn from the driver's seat.
"Yaaawn~"
Grrr! Occasionally, the faint growls of Orcs could be heard, but none approached. The escort was doing its job perfectly.
"...Ah, I'm so sleepy." Yun Hwa-rim pressed her hand to her forehead. Perhaps because she had used quite a bit of mana, drowsiness washed over her. Her eyelids felt heavy.
"Yaaawn..." She yawned, her head nodding down, then half-opening her eyes again...
Thud!
She snapped awake at an ominous sound.
"..."
One of the side wheels was wedged between two trees.
Gulp. Yun Hwa-rim swallowed hard, gripping the steering wheel. The team members in the back looked over.
"W-what? What was that just now?"
"Oh, uh... it's nothing..."
Yun Hwa-rim first injected mana into the cart again, intending to reverse. But it didn't work. The cart wouldn't budge.
Mana wasn't even flowing into the cart.
"...!"
A chilling shiver ran down Yun Hwa-rim's spine. An ominous feeling violently shook her mind.
Praying with all her heart that it wasn't what she thought, she looked at the cart's durability dashboard.
The cart was broken.
"Um... Kang Hyun? Kang Hyun-ssi?" Yun Hwa-rim called out to him.
Kang Hyun raised his head. "Yes?"
"This..."
She pointed at the dashboard. Kang Hyun looked at it too. Durability 0.
"When we just hit that—" Yun Hwa-rim started to say, but her voice died in her throat. Kang Hyun's eyes were completely hollow.
A gaze devoid of any emotion. Pupils dyed a hazy gray. It wasn't contempt or anger, but something far more suffocating...
Kang Hyun closed his eyes and opened them again. They had returned to their usual light.
"It's fine."
"Why, what's wrong?" Lee Jong-su asked.
Kang Hyun replied shortly, "The cart is broken."
"...What?!" Lee Jong-su's eyes widened in shock. "T-then... is the labyrinth a failure?!"
"Fuck. What's wrong with you!" Esher spat out an oath in English.
"No. Calm down. We only need to transport the cargo, not the cart." Kang Hyun drew his sword.
"We'll remove the cart parts."
He sliced away the useless weight of the cart, including the driver's seat, leaving only the wheels, and attached handles so a person could pull it.
"We can just pull it ourselves."
"O-ourselves? I mean, we're not oxen..."
"We don't have a choice."
"...Sigh." Lee Jong-su let out a heavy sigh.
Yun Hwa-rim dejectedly buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry."
"No, no, Hwa-rim, I'm not blaming you. It'll be fine. Look, you've got me." Lee Jong-su flexed his arm, trying to act tough. There was practically a basketball bulging under his skin.
"Wow. Incredible." Yun Hwa-rim idly poked the watermelon-sized bicep. The corner of Lee Jong-su's mouth twitched with pride.
"Well~ this is just a minor hiccup. Watch this."
Lee Jong-su confidently beat his chest and became the cargo's beast of burden. He grabbed the front handles of the cargo and pushed with a grunt.
"...Huh."
He was taken aback. It moved, but the weight was far heavier than he had anticipated.
"It's... a bit heavy, isn't it?"
"It's probably because of the cargo's protective enchantment," Kang Hyun replied.
To put it simply, it was a weight enchantment. It was designed to prevent people from abandoning the cart and easily running off with just the cargo.
"Let's take turns in pairs. One person pushes from behind, and one pulls from the front."
"...Y-yeah. Sure. But still, I think we should call over a warrior from the escort team too. Hwa-rim won't be able to do this."
Nodding, Kang Hyun picked up the radio. "This is the transport team. An issue has arisen, and we're going to need another warrior."
The radio conveyed Im Hae-jun's complaints. I listened to his voice from atop the tallest tree.
"Who knows."